Reversing and expansion valve gear



(No Medal.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. W. FINGER. REVERSING AND EXPANSION VALVE GEAR.

Patented Nov. 20, 1883.

WITNESZEHQ INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. FUERS. PhnM-Mhognphrr. Washingon. n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT Griuon.

CARL W; FINGER, OF WILKES-BARRY], PENNSYLVANIA.

REVERSING AND EXPANSION VALVE GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,787, dated November 20, 1883.

Application filed August 29, 1883. (No model.)

If 0 all whom it may concern.-

A Be it known that I, CARL XV. FLvGER, of Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reversing and Expansion Valve Gears for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan View, partly in section, of my improvement shown as applied to a locomotive. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is arear elevation, partly in section, of a part of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a sectional plan view of a part of a cylinder and its steam-port. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a sectional side elevation of the improvement shown as applied to a locomotive.

The object of this invent-ion is to avoid the use of eccentrics and link-motions, and economize fuel in working locomotive and stationary steam engines.

A represents the truck-wheels, B the truckframe, 0 the boiler-bed, D the boiler, and E the steam-cylinders, of a locomotive. Each cylinder E is provided with a port, F, at each end, which is connected with a live-steam passage, G, and an exhauststeam passage, H, leading, respectively, to the steanrpipe I and the exhaustpipe J in the smoke-chamber of the boiler. valve, K, and in each passage H is placed a valve, L, for controlling the movements of live and exhauststeam through the said passages. By this construction each cylinder E is provided with four valvesthat is, has a livesteam valve and an exhaust-steam valve at each end. The stems M N of the valves K L pass up through stuffing-boxes O in the top walls of the passages G H. The valves K L are held down to their seats by a constant steampressure applied to a small valve, 1?, placed in valve-boxes Q, attached toor formed upon the brackets R, attached to the top wall of the passage G, or other suitable support, and connectedwith the steam-ports F. Two collars, S, are securedto each valve-stem M N by setscrews or other suitable means at such a distance apart as to receive between them the end In each passage G is placed a of a bell-crank lever, T, which is pivoted at its other end to a bracket, B. To the angle of each bellcrank lever T is pivoted a small friction-roller, T, to lessen the friction when the said levers are being operated upon by the cams U V. Two cams, Uone for the forward motion and the other for the backward motion-are provided for each inlet-valve K, and two cams, V, are provided for each exhaust-valve L. The cams U are straight upon their forward edges and tapered upon their rear edges, giving the said rear edges a spiral shape, so that the valves will always be opened at the same point to admit steam, and closed at any desired point of the stroke to out off steam by moving the said cams laterally upon their shaft V. The cams V are made with their front and rear edges parallel, so as to always open and close the exhaust-valves at the beginning and end of a stroke. All the cams for the valves at each end of the cylinder are placed upon a shaft, V, and are connected with said shaft by tongues and grooves, so that they can be moved laterally upon the said shafts, but will be carried around by and with the said shaft in its revolution. The cams of the two cylinders are separated upon each shaft W by a tubular washer, X or Y, placed upon the middle part of the said shaft. The forward washer, Y, has an annular groove, Z, around its middle part, to receive the end of an elbow-lever, a, or a pin attached to the said end. The lever Cb is pivoted at its angle to some suitable support connected with the frame of the engine, and to its other end is pivoted the end of a connecting-bar, b, the other end of which is connected with the starting bar or lever in the cab, so that the cams can be readily adjusted upon their shafts to admit and shut off steam to start and stop the engine, to cut off steam at any desired part of the stroke, and to reverse the motion.

Upon the end parts of the shafts W, at the outer ends of the outer cams, U, are placed tubular washers m, around which are formed annular grooves 11, to receive the ends of the levers 0, or pins attached to the said ends. The levers 0 are pivoted at their centers to supports attached to the frame of the engine. By this construction the movement of the cams U V upon the rear shaft W will move the cams U V upon the forward shaft in the opposite direction, so that the cams for giving a forward and a reversed motion must be in diagonal or reversed positions upon the two shafts. The shafts WV revolve in bearings connected with the frame of the engine, and to their ends are attached short cranks a, which are connected in pairs at the sides of the engine by rods 01, so that the said shafts will always revolve together. To the rear cranks c are also pivoted the ends of connecting-rods e, which pass forward and are pivoted at their other ends to the ends of the short upper arms of the levers f. The levers f are pivoted to a support attached to the frame of the engine, and to their long arms are pivoted the ends of connectingrods 9, the other ends of which are pivoted to the cross-heads h, connected with the'pistonrods t of the cylinders E, and also connected by the rods j with the crank-pins k of the drivewheels Z, so that the engine can be controlled and driven without the use of the ordinary link-motion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- as herein shown and described, whereby the said cams will be driven to operate the valves from the said cross-heads, as set forth.

2. In a valve-gear for steam-engines, the

combination, with the shafts W and the series of cams U V, of the washers X Y m, the equalarmed levers 0, and the bent levers a, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said cams can be readily adjusted, as set forth.

CARL \V. FINGER.

Witnesses: I

O. H. SAUERMILC-H, E. Z. SMITH. 

